What the heck is this? Plain Reciever Model 58 3 digit SN

[frankiesaysrelax]

Hello. I have added a few nice old Remingtons to my collection as of late and this one has me stumped. It is a Model 58 12 gauge with a plain receiver, no roll stamped engraving or "Sportsman 58" on it anywhere. The serial number is in the low 100 range and has a 58 prefix, i.e. 58 1xx. It sports a VR Skeet barrel with a LM3 date code. I am assuming the barrel is not original as LM translates to Feb 1965, after the 58 was out of production and certainly well after this one was made. I would assume it is a very early 1956 gun, however Model 58 serial numbers supposedly start at 1001 and have letter suffixes, which this one definitely does not. Perhaps somebody at Remington took home one of the old prototype receivers and a new production skeet barrel sometime in the mid to late sixties?

The gun has nicely figured fore end wood and a nice but less figured buttstock which is purportedly a replacement and not original to the gun.

Even stranger, the receiver has the long thin relief slot just like a Model 1100.



Any information about this gun would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[ChuckD]

Frankie,
I believe we have a "clean-up" shotgun. I say we because I have #208.
It's a fact that Remington has sold modified firearms to chain or hardware stores. Montgomery Wards for instance.
It is my opinion that these were left over parts from the Model 58 as well as the M-878, when the M-1100 was introduced.
Mine has a barrel marked 878, dated 1/59. The relief cut in the receiver would indicate they were made or modified about the time the M-1100 was introduced.
What does the pistol grip cap look like on yours. From the photo, It looks like it could be from an 870,
Since the 58 had an aluminum one.
I don't know if there are any records to verify this, but that's my belief.

ChuckD

[frankiesaysrelax]

Thanks Chuck, I am glad to hear that I am not alone. Here is a drawing I found online of the grip cap on my gun. I think you are right on the money with the buttstock being from an 870. That was my guess too. My grip cap looks just like this and is made from black plastic.

Does your gun have the 1100 style relief cut also? Is your receiver also plain like mine? The only markings on mine are the underlined "Remington" stamp about a half inch up the receiver from the beveled edge with the last letter ending just before and about a quarter inch above the forward trigger group pin. The model and serial number are stamped in between the front and rear trigger group pins.

The top of my receiver is milled to match up with the vent rib on the barrel. My barrel is marked 58 on the barrel ring, stamped 12GA FOR 2 3/4 or SHORTER SHELLS, and date coded LM and what looks like the top half of a 3 followed by some indiscernible mark. The barrel actually measures 25.5" from muzzle to chamber with another inch of barrel extension above the chamber. I assume it is a nominal 26" barrel. It is marked SKEET and is indeed choked SKEET, I measured it with a choke gauge. It has not been bobbed. The smaller mid bead is brass and the end bead is blued steel with a white plastic ball.

[ChuckD]

Frankie,
First let me say the shotgun is at another location, so I don't have it in hand.
However, my receiver is the same as yours. (markings and relief cut). I don't remember if the top is matted, the 878 barrel (marked on magazine ring), is plain (no rib).
The grip cap is the same as yours. (It might be from a M-31 or M-32)? The standard 58 cap had a dog with bird in it's mouth.
As I said, I think this was a batch where they used up any parts that were still on hand, and would fit, when the M-1100 was introduced.
While I'm not specifically a shotgun collector, I bought mine several years ago
because it's different.
Maybe some one else can add more information.

[frankiesaysrelax]

Chuck, I think you are on to something with these being "clean-up" guns. I disassembled mine today and noticed that it has the later style one-piece action bars. That and the '65 date coded barrel lend the impression that the gun was assembled much later than the low serial number would seem to indicate. It would also appear at this point that Remington was aware of the cracking problem and milled relief slots in our receivers just like they were doing with the 1100s.

I am not a shotgun collector per se either. I just buy stuff that I like. I'd seen 58s before and though about picking one up since they usually go for next to nothing and appear to be pretty nice guns. When I saw this one going up for auction I knew I had to have it. The vent rib skeet barrel and figured walnut wood is what initially caught my eye, but once I looked closer I realized how different this 58 was from any one I'd ever seen. Evidently no one else gave a hoot so I had no competition from the other bidders at the auction. So now I have a nice 58 Skeet to complement my gorgeous 870TB Trap. Or my fiancee's 870 TB I should say, as she laid claim to it as soon as I brought it home! Now that gun has some absolutely beautiful wood on it, nicer than any other TB I have ever seen, and they all have nice wood. I picked her up one of those nice fitted cases for the 1100 G3 off of eBay for a mere $60 shipped so she can really look slick when we go to the range.

I've got an old Model 11 Sportsman too. That rounds out my collection of Remington Shotguns. I also have 3 Remington .22s and a Remington M1903 Springfield. The .22s are a Model 24 .22 short, a Nylon 66, and a scoped 572 pump that was bequeathed to me by my paternal grandfather. The Model 24 .22 short is my current favorite toy as it cycles CCI .22 CB shorts. It makes less noise than my father's barrel-cocking spring piston air rifle.

Now if only we could find out some more info about our oddball 58s. Thanks for your input.

[Virginian]

Many years ago I had a friend and his 58 receiver cracked. He sent it to Remington and that looks exactly what he got back. This was in 1963, just before I bought my 1100. His was an original Skeet model gun. He got a letter from Remington saying they had redesigned the receiver to eliminate the cracking issue.

[frankiesaysrelax]

Wow! I wish we could take a look at your friend's gun and get a look at or a copy of that letter. Of course we're probably 40 years too late. I would be curious to know if Remington restamped his original serial number on the replacement receiver or if he got a new serial number with a 58 prefix like the guns that Chuck and I have. Thanks for the info Virginian!